EASTERN MEADITERRANEAN UNIVERSTY

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

LABORATORY HANDOUT
1979

COURSE: STRENGTH OF MATERIALS (MENG 222)

Semester: Spring 2012-2013
Experiment No: 1
Name of Experiment: DEFLECTION OF BEAM
Instructor: Cafer Kizilors
Assistant: Muhammad ABID

Submitted by:
Student No:
Date: ..

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------EVALUATION
PROCEDURE
RESULTS & GRAPHS
DISCUSSION
REPORT PRESENTATION
OVERALL MARK
Name and signature (of evaluator): Muhammad ABID
1.
PURPOSE OF EXPERIMENT

To find the deflection of simply supported & cantilever beam

2.

THEORY
The problem of bending probably occurs more often than any other loading problem in design.

Shafts, axles, cranks, levers, springs, brackets, and wheels, as well as many other elements, must often
be treated as beams in the design and analysis of mechanical structures and system. A beam subjected to
pure bending is bent into an arc of circle within the elastic range, and the relation for the curvature is:
1

Where

M ( x)
EI

(1)

: is the radius of the curvature of the neutral axis?

X is the distance of the section from the left end of the beam.

The curvature of a plane curve is given by the equation:

1

d2y
dx 2
dy

1
dx

3
2

(2)

dy
dy

Is the slope of the curve and in the case of elastic curve the slope is very small:
0
dx
dx
1 d2y

dx 2

d 2 y M ( x)

EI
dx 2

(3)

Multiply both sides by EI which is constant and integrating with respect to x:

dy
= M(x) dx +C1
dx
dy
=tan =(x)
Noting that
dx

EI

(4)
because the angle is very small.

And integrating the equation again.

EI y= dx M(x)dx+C1x+C2

(5)

The constants C1 and C2 are determined from the boundary conditions (constants) imposed on the beam
by its supports.
1) Simply supported beam

2) Cantilever beam
Case 1: Simply supported beam
At the supports, deflections are zero:

y=0 (at A&B)

Now we have two equations to be solved for C1& C2 solving equation (5) and substituting boundary
conditions give us:

Pbx 2
x b2 l 2
6 EIL

(between A&C)

Pa (l x) 2
x a 2 2lx
6 EIL

(between C&B)

Case 2: Cantilever beam

The deflection and the slope is zero at A

Px 2
x 3a
6 EI

Pa 2
a 3x
6 EI

3.

(between A&C)

(between C&B)

DESCRIPTION OF APPARATUS & EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE

1: Arrange the apparatus for simply supported beam loaded centrally. Take the deflection at the
centre of beam using dial gauge.
2: Change the position of the load, and measure the deflections between AC and BC. (note lengths
L,a,b)
3: Change the arrangement of the apparatus for the cantilever beam, load it intermediately.
4: Apply the same procedure for another beam with different dimensions.

4.

DATA ANALYSIS (with sample calculation(s))

a) Simply supported beam

b) Cantilever beams
You must {significant force, deflection (P,x , a,b) and find Yt,Y)
And for simply supported beams and cantilever, for error calculating uses this formula;

Error=

5.

Yac Y
Y

EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE (in your own words 6-7 sentences) and draw Graphs
If necessary

6.

DISCUSSION & CONCLUSIONS